About OU Medicine

At OU Medicine, our mission is leading health care. Our vision is to be the premiere enterprise for advancing health care, medical education and research for the community, state and region. Through our combined efforts we strive to improve the lives of all people.

Children's Services

Education & Research

The College of Medicine is the largest component of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and is at the center of OU Medicine. Our mission is leading health care - in education, research and patient care.

Anatomy of the Brain

The brain controls the body. You can move and feel because of the brain. And it is the brain that makes you able to think, to show emotions, and to make judgments. The brain is protected by the skull, tissue, and fluid.

Functions of the brain

The brain’s right side controls the left side of the body. And the left side of the brain controls the body’s right side. Each section of the brain has specific roles. Some skills and traits occur in more than one section. The main parts of the brain and some of their functions are listed below.

Protecting the brain

There are 3 layers of tissue called meninges that help protect the brain. The outer covering of tissue (called the dura mater), closely lines the inside of the skull. The second layer is the arachnoid mater, and the third layer, the pia mater, hugs the surface of the brain. The brain is cushioned and supported by a special fluid called the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF fills the subarachnoid space between the arachnoid mater and the pia mater. Spaces within the brain called ventricles produce the CSF. Arteries and veins carry blood to and from the brain. Without a fresh supply of blood, brain tissue quickly dies.